Another Winterizing Question

[limulus]

Guys, I have always let our marina service and winterize our boat every year since it was new in 2007. That has always been around $250. This year we have our own lakefront home with a covered dock and a lift. I don't remember how many hours we put on it this year, but I'd have to say well under 20hrs and maybe 70hrs total on the boat. The last time I looked at the meter I know there were less than 70hrs. The marina will not be servicing it this year and I think I'm only going to add some stabilizer to the fuel tank and let it run for a few minutes. Then remove the battery. Should I do anything else? Last year the temps got down into single digits but this year should be much milder (N GA/W NC mountains). Since having a home on the lake we used the boat a lot less and I just don't see the need for plugs and the long list of things the marina was doing. Maybe I'll do it again next year.

[Woody]

I like to change to lower unit oil before winter storage, to make sure it doesn't sit all winter with contaminated fluid/water in it. I wouldn't worry about plugs and stuff with that low of hours.

[cjett]

I'd never let fuel sit in the carb. Best bet is to put your stabilizer in, let it run a bit, then turn off the fuel flow and let the engine starve for fuel and die. You'll be amazed at how long the engine will run after you disconnect the fuel line - 5-7 minutes at idle. Thats how much gas will be sitting in your carbs.

I also never leave fuel in the tank, I'd drain it dry... this ethanol stuff is terrible... even with stabilizer. If you don't have a fuel shutoff, this is another way to starve your engine until it stalls.

Other than that, I've always been a proponent of spraying some fogger in the cylinders as well. It's cheap and a fast procedure. Pull the plugs, spray fogger in the spark plug holes, turn the engine over a few times, replace the plugs. Done

Finally, put the engine all the way down to ensure it drains completely.

I winterize my boat in about 20 minutes. It sits in an unheated storage building in West Virginia over the winter and I've never had a problem over the past 10 years. I put fresh fuel in, charge the batteries, replace the plugs if they look like they need it, check the lower unit oil and refill if needed and start it up.

[limulus]

Thanks Guys. That sounds simple enough. As for fogging: this is a 4-stroke, so I don't think it is necessary. It is also fuel injected, so there is also no carb for fuel to sit in. She is on a lift so I always keep the motor down.

[badmoonrising]

2 strokes do need fogging for winter storage..injected or not, use stabilizer or run it dry prior to storage. Bad fuel does mess up injectors.

[jimrs]

Yea, your looking at it all wrong. Change the lower unit grease, run it out of fuel. put a charger on the battery. fog the engine, and take the rest of the day off.

This is what needs to be done at the end of the season. Keep you boat running right and next spring we wont be telling you sorry about whatever is wrong with your boat.

[GregF]

I think I would also hit all the grease points, pull the prop and pack the shaft with grease, hose off the power head and shoot some protecting oil on that (choices vary on that). If you have furniture, wipe all of that down with protectant. Clean and lube the steering shaft.

I don't really have winter so this is just what snow birds do here for summer

[limulus]

Thanks again for the input, but I did verify that I do not need to fog a 4-stroke. The battery is kept on a charger. I'm just not going to change the plugs this year. Since the mountain house is 1.5-2hrs away, I may just pay the mechanic to go over and do the work. It will be a little tricky for me to change the fluids with the boat on the lift (I don't have a trailer).

[GregF]

The trick for changing fluids on the lift is using a little boat. I have an old jon boat that does a great job. Anything you drop, tools, parts or oil, lands in the boat. Then when I am done I can drag it up to a safe place and hose out any oil I spilled.
You could accomplish the same thing with a wash tub or mortar tray (a plastic one is a few bucks at Home Depot) floating on the water. Tie it off to the pontoon so it won't float away. I can sit on the toons and get to most things on the motor.
It is really better to get it up on the trailer so you can get to everything but I change oil more often than I want to pull the boat out.

When I first got this boat, before I had a trailer or a lift, I did my lower unit service in the garage after pulling the foot using the jon boat while it was still in the water. That worked OK too but getting it back in was tough (tilted up as far as it would go I still had problems getting everything lined up). On a lift it would be easier.

[brumbyvet]

The jury is still out on emptying the gas tank or storing it full. I've heard pros and cons of doing it either way. If you do leave fuel in tank, be sure to use double dose of stabilizer and make sure tank is completely full. Do not leave any open space in tank for moisture to form. That's what I do.

[FloterBoter]

efi 4 strokes should still have fogging oil squirted into each cylinder.
or not... your motor.

[badmoonrising]

efi 4 strokes should still have fogging oil squirted into each cylinder.
or not... your motor.

Yep..I've never heard of an engine manufacturer NOT recommending fogging during long term storage. Better safe then sorry.

[badmoonrising]

The jury is still out on emptying the gas tank or storing it full. I've heard pros and cons of doing it either way. If you do leave fuel in tank, be sure to use double dose of stabilizer and make sure tank is completely full. Do not leave any open space in tank for moisture to form. That's what I do.

My take on this is: no fuel sitting = no chance of phase separation, water contamination, etc. And yes, 3/4 full is just as bad as not using stabilizer, especially with ethanol fuel.

[FloterBoter]

i agree that an empty fuel tank over the winter would be best. i've only had that
work out for me one time in the about the last decade. i use lead substitute in my
fuel (older engine) so i'd rather not run the fuel through my trucks if i don't have to.
since i always stabilize any fuel that goes into the boat, i just let it sit stabilized
over the winter and i've never had a problem. i try to get ethanol free fuel when
i can, but it's not available locally because of the dumbass politicians paying off
their ethanol plant-owning buddies. maybe i've just been lucky or maybe the
merc i/o's are more forgiving than your guys' new fangled efi outboards, but so
far so good.

[chill'nthemost]

I always change the motor oil along with the lower unit. I always been told it's not good to leave used oil in a motor being stored. I fog the cylinders and the carb, put a trickle charger on the batteries ( you can ruin a battery that has discharged and froze), I even put RV antifreeze back in the block (3.0 Chevy). I don't like the thought of a cast block setting empty over the winter. I don't believe a plastic fuel tank will condensate, so I've been told. I leave a couple of gallons in the tank with an over dose of Stable. I hate leaving fuel in the system, but I've also seen damage from seals drying and becoming brittle when all the fuel is drained. My garage rarely gets below freezing, but you can never be too careful.